Avoiding the Holiday Cash Crunch
By Janice Hayes, staff writer

Ah, the holidays! Family gatherings, beautiful music, wonderful food and of course, shopping. But if holiday payments haunt you all year long like the Ghost of Christmas Past, then perhaps it’s time to look for ways to avoid the holiday cash crunch so you can better enjoy the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Pam Porter, a divorced mother of three living in St. George, Utah, learned the hard way how damaging excessive holiday spending can be.

“I’m always on a tight budget,” Pam says, “but at Christmas time I wanted to give my children a lot, perhaps to compensate for their not having a father around. The result was that for the entire next year, I struggled to pay off high credit card debts and department store bills. The stress it added to my already stressed family situation was enormous.”

Like Pam, many people struggle with keeping holiday budgets under control. And yet, while recent statistics show that Americans spend billions on Christmas each year, nearly 48% of us think Christmas has become too commercial. So how can we simplify and control our holiday spending while still enjoying the holiday season? By simplifying, saving and budgeting.

Below are some ideas to help make these steps easier.

• First of all, make things easy on yourself by establishing reasonable holiday spending traditions in your home. Teach your children early that the true meaning of Christmas is not found in presents under the tree.
  
• Decide what you can realistically afford to spend each holiday. After establishing a budget, plan a shopping list and try to shop year round, keeping in mind special sales throughout the year. In other words, think like Santa; make a list, check it twice, and stick to it!
  
• Narrow your Christmas card list. Save time, money and postage.
  
• Remember homemade gifts and gift baskets. See listed web sites for some great homemade gift ideas along with other ideas found here on Mormonchic.com.
  
• Do Your Research. "The Internet is a great way to scout for prices," says Stephanie AuWerter, Senior Editor at SmartMoney.com. "Whether you actually buy something online or just check out what the local retail stores are charging for an item, taking the time to research can save you time and quite a bit of money." AuWerter recommends Shopping.com and Yahoo! Shopping. "Both sites are extremely easy to use. Just type in what you're looking for and you can quickly see who's got the best price."
  
• Shop online, using stores like eBay, Overstock.com and Amazon.com. Online shopping can save you precious holiday time as well as holiday dollars, in fact, it is estimated than nearly 20% of all holiday purchases are now made online. During the holidays, many of these online merchants also offer reduced or free shipping.
  
• As often as possible, pay with cash. This limits your spending and forces you to budget carefully. If this is too difficult, use your lowest interest rate credit card, keep track of your charges and plan to pay it off within three months.

• Use dollar stores for all your smaller gifts such as stocking stuffers, teacher, visiting teacher and neighbor gift ideas. Keeping a few inexpensive gifts on hand for emergency giving is also a good idea.
  
• Gifts of service such as babysitting, tutoring, a home cooked meal etc. are gifts of yourself and can be more appreciated than gifts from the pocketbook.
  
• If your budget is really tight, think of ways to earn a little income through part-time temporary holiday jobs, garage sales, babysitting etc.
  
• Begin a “holiday fund” savings account. Put a little in the account each month, you’ll be surprised how quickly a little can add up to a lot.
  
• Don't wait to do all your holiday shopping on December 24th. Starting early (even in January) allows you the time to find your item at a good price, comparison shop, research the best make and model for your money, find just the right gift, etc. instead of being force to purchase something, anything no matter what.
  
• Consider regifting. We've all been given lovely gifts that for one reason or another we've never used. This isn't always appropriate, but when the items are in perfect, never been used condition, regifiting might be the best solution for both parties. Try this with your girlfriends this year. Instead of doing a traditional gift exchange, do a regift - no one is can spend a dime... everything has to come from your closet, drawers, basement, attic.
  
• Gifts aren't your only holiday expenditures. We also tend to purchase gift wrap, paper products, cards, stationary for the family letter, decorations. If you spend wisely during the year, you'll have money to hit the after Christmas sales and pick up many of these items for the following year, keeping the savings trend going!

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING:

• Consider pot luck dinners and cookie exchanges. Most people are happy to share the load and expense this way and enjoy being involved.
  
• Keep your Christmas day dinner simple as opposed to a Thanksgiving type of meal. Less money and work, more time spent enjoying the day.
  
• Have a holiday dinner with your family and friends. You arrange the menu then ask each person to bring an ingredient for the meal. Cook dinner together while Christmas music plays in the background. The meal itself is just topping on the cake.
  
• Have a white elephant exchange with simple yet festive snacks to share. These are a fun and entertaining way to enjoy the holidays. It’s also a great way to re-gift something you don’t necessarily need anymore!
  
• Sledding parties, skating parties, snowman making contests, caroling etc. are all ways to bring people together for a lot of fun without a lot of expense.
  
• Gather friends and neighbors for a Christmas movie night, especially some of the old time favorites such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “White Christmas”. Have everyone bring their favorite holiday snack to share.
  
• Walk or drive around your neighborhood to see the Christmas light displays. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate and some cups to share.
  
• Visit Santa at the mall.
  
• Explore the many opportunities to attend free concerts and other inexpensive Christmas activities at community churches, malls and libraries.
  
• Read Christmas stories at night with your family while gathered around the fireplace or lit Christmas tree.
  
• Make Christmas goodies together then deliver to neighbors and friends.
  
• Check local TV listings for appropriate holiday programs you can watch together.

HOLIDAY DECORATING:

• Buy decorations during the after Christmas sales.
  
• Use evergreen branches, pine cones, holly and other natural materials to fill mantles, baskets and windowsills with holiday beauty. Use with colorful Christmas candles. You can also make lovely centerpieces by placing Christmas candles in the center of bowls filled with walnuts or cranberries.
  
• If hosting a party, create an impressive and inexpensive centerpiece by filling a basket or decorative tray with evergreen sprigs. Wrap small dollar store gifts in attractive wrapping paper complete with raffia or ribbon and a sprig of holly and arrange gifts among the evergreen in the basket. As guests leave, have them take one of the small gifts with them to remember the evening.
  
• Give old and mismatched ornaments a new life by spray painting them gold (or any color that suits your style!) then hanging them on your tree with ribbon. You can also spray paint pine cones to put either in a basket or to hang as an ornament from a tree.
  
• If willing, invest in an artificial Christmas tree. It saves having to buy a tree every year. If artificial isn’t for you, take the family to a Christmas tree farm where you cut your own, or better yet, if your area is close to public forest land, buy a tree cutting permit for minimal cost from the forest service and spend a wonderful day finding, cutting and bringing home your own Christmas tree.
  
• Use Christmas garland as curtain and drapery tie-backs.
  
• Make your own bows with wired Christmas ribbon. Tie on banisters, candlesticks, door handles, door knockers, anywhere!
  
• Pull out all the vases and cute containers you may have. Fill with inexpensive silk poinsettias. They add a nice splash of holiday color wherever they’re put.
  
• Put colorful holiday fabric on side and end tables
  
• Cover existing throw pillows with holiday covers.
  
• For a warm and cozy look and feel, drape Christmas colored throw blankets over chairs and sofas.
  
• Remove pictures from existing wall frames and insert Christmas cards and Christmas sheet music in their place.
  
• Create a nostalgic display by purchasing inexpensive pictures frames at a dollar store to put old family Christmas photos in. Surround the photos with evergreen, angel hair, decorative fabric etc. This is good for end tables, mantlepieces, shelves, deep window sills and piano tops.
  
• Wrap your doors and pictures up like presents for a fun and unique decoration.
  
• Make decorations yourself and enlist the whole family’s help. Check out listed web sites for some fun and inexpensive ideas.
  
• Play Christmas music in your home. Music makes a wonderful and inexpensive “audio” decoration!

REMEMBERING THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS:

• Invite neighbors and friends over to share their favorite Christmas memories. Follow with a group service or Sub-for-Santa project.
  
• From the scriptures, read and reread, both to yourself and with your family, the account of Christ’s birth.
  
• Spend an evening around the Christmas tree sharing with each other what Christ’s birth means to each of you.
  
• Focus all your December family home evenings on the Savior’s birth and mission in life.
  
• Display nativity scenes prominently in your home. Discuss their meaning often with your children.
  
• Put on your own family, ward and neighborhood nativity plays, using the scriptures as your narrative. Children love dressing up like Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels and Wise Men. And it’s the lucky little girl who gets to hold baby Jesus!
  
• Read stories to your children which relate the true meaning of Christmas. “The True Meaning of Christmas” is one such story that could be shared. A cute computer version of this story can be found on www.llerrah.com under the inspirational holiday page.
  
• Tuck a package of thank you notes into your family’s Christmas stockings. This will remind them to send thank you notes to those who gave them gifts at Christmas time, including Santa! This helps reinforce a feeling of gratitude, not entitlement, during the holidays.
  
• Service, service, service!! Nothing will teach you and your family more about the Savior’s birth and mission than giving love and selfless service to others.

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WAYS TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF DURING THE HOLIDAYS:

• Have your husband or a close friend supervise the children while you pamper yourself for an evening. What you do is up to you!
  
• Keep exercise in your schedule. A walk on a crisp, snowy evening or morning can do wonders for body and soul.
  
• Eat right, even with all the goodies around.
  
• Trade babysitting with friends so you can shop and go to lunch without the children underfoot.
  
• Plan fun holiday-themed (yet inexpensive) dates for you and your spouse.
  
• Stay close to the spirit. Read your scriptures, attend the temple. Remember what Christmas is all about.

SIMPLE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD:

AUSTRIA: Farmers chalk the initials of the Three Wise Men on their stable doors to protect their herds from sickness in the coming year. C for Caspar, M for Melchior, B for Balthasar. Austrians traditionally have no Santa. Children believe their simple (and less expensive!) gifts are brought by “Kristkindl”, a golden-haired baby with wings who symbolizes the Christ child.

ENGLAND: The first ever Christmas cards were posted in England in the 1840s. Over a billion cards are now sent each year in the UK.

GERMANY: Germans were the first to trim and light a Christmas tree. It was done simply with ribbons and other things found in nature.

ITALY: Italian children are visited by a female Santa, La Befana. She fills their shoes with sweets, nuts and small toys.

IRELAND: A large candle is lit near the front window of the home to help guide the Holy Family to safety. The candle is usually red or white in color and is decorated with holly. Sometimes, the candle is held in a hollowed out turnip.

AMERICAN AMISH: Traditionally, the Amish have no trees, decorations or expensive gifts given. The highlight of an Amish Christmas in many communities is the Christmas program given by the children and held in one of their one-room school houses.

CHILE: Santa is called “Old Man Christmas”. He climbs through windows to enter children’s homes rather than going down the chimney to deliver his small treats.

RUSSIA: Russians enjoy a simple yet festive meal on Christmas eve. The main dish is a special porridge called “kutya”. Made of wheatberries or other grains, kutya symbolizes hope and immortality.

SCANDINAVIA: Along with other traditions, a sheaf of grain is often tied to a pole together with nuts and seeds and placed in the garden for the birds to eat.

Related Web sites of interest:

www.allfreecrafts.com/christmas
Over 50 ogional Christmas craft projects - decorations, kids crafts, recycling, santa crafts, ornaments, gift wrapping and more!

www.robinsfyi.com
Hundreds of pages on Christmas budgeting, cooking, entertaining, fun, shopping, stories, and more!

www.thriftyfun.com
Readers and subscribers share holiday information - crafts, gifts, recipes, entertaining ideas, etc.

www.betterbudgeting.com
Frugal crafts and homemade gifts for every holiday and occasion.

www.mymamasaid.com
A Mother's Guide to a Stress-Less Holiday Season
Keep it Simple

www.stretcher.com
Second Chance Christmas - read what one family's efforts to reduce the influance of commercialism in their Chriastmas celebrations.
Christmas for the Craft Impaired Four ornaments that promise to be inexpensive, and easy enough for those who have little to no artistic ablity.

www.thefrugalshopper.com
A great website for researching product prices and coupons online.

www.familyfun.com
Hundreds of family friendly activites to do with kids of all ages.